The Hunt for Lost Identity: Native Faith Paganism in Contemporary Lithuania

Abstract

The article presents the results of the author's in-depth ethnographic research carried out during 2011-017. It focuses on the Native Faith Paganism movement in contemporary Lithuania. The popularity and peculiarities of the movement and related groups are discussed. Prehistory of the movement, establishment of related religious societies, impacts of altering history and new forms of spirituality to the phenomena debated. The turn from the folkloristic movement to the religious is explained. The diversity of the shifting phenomena and the variety of related groups are analyzed, their interrelations and relation with other modern Pagan groups are presented. Their ideas about and relation with ethnic identity, national history, ethnic culture is analyzed. The self-expression, self-presentation, aims, activities (both public and not for publicity) of Native faith movement are described. Specific attention it is given to the analysis of the Romuva group and subgroups and their ideas, as it is the most popular and the most active modern Native Faith-type Paganism active in Lithuania. Their impact on other modern Paganisms as well as to the whole image of the ancient Lithuanian/Baltic pre-Christian traditions and Lithuanian ethnic culture per se is noticeable.